


The Darkness

by disturbinglynic



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Gore, M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-10
Updated: 2011-11-10
Packaged: 2017-10-25 18:59:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/273663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disturbinglynic/pseuds/disturbinglynic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A camping trip turns into a nightmare when Will and Wesley are drugged and taken captive. Both of them tortured and suffering, they manage to make it out alive, but will they ever be whole again?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

>   
>  Art by [nickygabriel](http://nickygabriel.livejournal.com/)

One week in the middle of nowhere with his student- his _former_ student. He must have lost his mind at some point during the semester. Wesley may not be his student anymore, but there was still a fourteen-year difference between the two of them.

 

He couldn’t deny the attraction between the two of them though. He had noticed Wesley the first day of class, and Wesley, though he had no reason to since it was the first day of class, stayed after to talk to him.

 

Wesley had never bothered to hide his attraction, openly flirting with Will, and Will had found himself doing the same thing. And now Wesley was sitting in the car next to him so they could go camping.

 

It was a completely secluded place. Not many people knew about this place, so traffic at the campsite stayed light. Will had been there before, but the last time he had been there, the only time he had been there, he hadn’t been anywhere near as excited as he was now.

 

They were nearly there. Just in time too, it was close to dark. Will was nervous too.

 

They hadn’t actually acted on their feelings yet, and he wasn’t sure what was going to happen on this trip. He wasn’t really sure what he was even hoping for on this trip.

 

He should hope for it all.

 

He had already gotten over the age difference, and Wesley was no longer his student, but Will had already gone through the casual stage of his life and now he wanted more. Wesley was young. He probably wasn’t ready to be tied down, especially to someone as old as Will.

 

Will was worried that if he had Wesley for a week then he wasn’t going to want to let him go.

 

Will finally pulled up to their campsite and he got started on the fire while Wesley started with the tent.

 

There was the promise of a beautiful night in the air, and Will could only hope.

 

*****

 

Wesley’s laughter rang out across the emptiness. After the fire had been started and the tent had been set up, they had cooked their dinner and by the dying light of the fire, they had sat and talked.

 

It had been hours now, and they had flown by. Wesley was incredibly easy to get along with, and they were comfortable with each other.

 

The stars were out above them. The night was cool and clear, the fire warm and comforting.

 

Wesley shifted closer to him on the log, and suddenly their conversation became a lot more personal.

 

“Will, have you ever been with a guy before?”

 

“Actually, yes. I have been. How about you?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but have you ever been with a woman?”

 

Wesley laughed. “Yes I have been, and I’ve also made out with guys. I’ve just never gone any further with them.”

 

“I can tell you now that if you’ve come here to just further your experience, then we can leave right now.” Will hoped that wasn’t what Wesley wanted. He didn’t think he could stand it.

 

He jumped when Wesley placed a hand on his knee and arm around his shoulders. Wesley chuckled quietly near his ear. “Will, this is more than that. I like you. More than a lot.”

 

“You don’t even know me.”

 

“I like what I know and I’d like to learn more. Besides, what do you even really know about me?”

 

Will snorted. “I know that you are beyond genius and I know that you have a big head about it and that you’re a bit of a know it all. I know that you’re not very good with people and that you tend to be shy with everyone but me. I also know that you would do anything to help the few friends that you have.”

 

Wesley had pulled away from him while he was talking, but Will hadn’t been able to make his mouth stop moving and he hadn’t been able to keep the words from spilling out of it. Wesley looked at him suspiciously. “Have you been stalking me?”

 

Will offered up a smile. “No. I’m just observant.”

 

Wesley smirked at him. “And how can I trust someone who wants to sleep with someone fourteen years his junior?”

 

Will snorted and Wesley laughed, putting his arm around Will’s shoulders once more. “So you know all of that and you still want to be with me?”

 

Will huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, I do.”

 

Wesley hand was on his knee again. “Will, I spent an entire semester watching you and listening to you. I’ve been thinking about you so much. No matter what happens tonight, or for the rest of the week, I’m excited to be spending it with you.”

 

Will cupped Wesley’s head, just under his ear, his thumb stroking Wesley’s cheek. He leaned forward and pressed their lips together.

 

Heat and lust raced through his body. He knew now what people meant when they said they felt fireworks. Wesley pulled away like his lips had been burned. “Wow.”

 

“Yeah,” Will agreed. Suddenly Wesley was on his lap, straddling him, the kiss hot and desperate. Wesley kissed Will like a drowning man starving for oxygen.

 

Wesley had said that it didn’t matter if they had sex tonight, but Will was really hoping they would, so he broke the kiss. “Get in the tent and get a light on. I’ll kill the fire.”

 

Wesley hopped off his lap and hurried into the tent. Will put out the fire and the world plunged into darkness. There was nothing light out except the stars, and they didn’t make a very good nightlight.

 

Wesley got the light on in the tent and the world wasn’t so dark anymore.

 

He walked into the tent. Wesley was already lying there, waiting for him, naked. Will hurried out of his own clothes and lay down next to Wes. “Waiting for me naked? Just what did you think was going to happen here tonight?”

 

Wesley just smiled, stretched, and put his hands behind his head. Will didn’t give him the satisfaction of looking at him. Instead, he held Wesley’s gaze.

 

Wesley gave first, rolling onto his side to face Will. Their lips met and within second their limbs were tangled together. He couldn’t tell where either of them began or ended, and they weren’t even having sex yet. Will felt liked he was drowning in passion, but then Wesley pulled away.

 

“What’s the matter?” Will mumbled, annoyed and confused. In the dim light he could make out Wesley blushing.

 

“What?”

 

Wesley cleared his throat and licked his lips. “It’s just… I’m clean. It’s been a while since I’ve had sex and I was checked recently. I was wondering about you.”

 

“Oh, um,” Will stammered, “actually, I did have sex this semester.”

 

Wesley’s face fell.

 

“Sorry, I’ll get checked as soon as I can.” Inside, Will was jumping up and down like a schoolgirl. That meant that Wesley was serious about this. It also made him regret sleeping with that guy during the semester. He had been trying to get Wesley out of his head. It hadn’t worked.

 

He kissed Wesley more gently this time, but no less passion filled. Wesley went pliant beneath him, allowing Will to take control. He moved away from Wesley’s lips and started kissing his neck.

 

He could definitely get used to the feeling of Wesley writhing beneath him. He kissed his way down Wesley’s body, stopping only to tease at Wesley’s nipples. He reached Wesley’s dick and took it into his hand. He stroked gently, learning the feel of it. He used his other arm to hold Wesley down so that he wouldn’t thrust into Will’s hand trying to gain more friction.

 

Wesley groaned. “Quit teasing.”

 

Will chuckled and leaned down, running his tongue up Wesley’s cock, swirling it around the head, dipping it into the slit. The taste of pre-come exploded on Will’s tongue, and he groaned, finally sliding his lips along Wesley’s length. He kept an arm pressing Wesley down, pulled off his length, and then sucked him back down.

 

He repeated the motions and it didn’t take long for Wesley to come, Will drinking down every last drop.

 

He left Wesley lying there to rummage around in his bag. He found the lube and the condoms and went back to Wesley. Wesley chuckled. “Someone was prepared.”

 

“Pretty sure you should be thanking me for that.”

 

Will covered his fingers in lube. Wesley was nice and relaxed from his orgasm, and one finger slid in easily. He slid a second finger in and had Wesley moaning again in no time when he found his prostate.

 

Wesley’s hands were on him suddenly, rolling on a condom. He hadn’t even been aware of Wesley grabbing one. Will raised an eyebrow. “In a hurry?”

 

Wesley snorted. “Yes. I need you in me. Now.”

 

“But I’m not done stretching you.”

 

“I’ll live. Now come on.”

 

Will lubed himself up and pushed into Wesley. With Will inside of him Wesley’s urgency seemed to vanish and he was lazily running his hands over Will’s body. Will leaned down to kiss Wesley and started thrusting slowly.

 

It was a lazy fuck, which Will hadn’t been expecting because of the way the night had started, but it was no less amazing. His orgasm was slow building and it was intense when he finally came, Wesley coming for the second time that night almost immediately after.

 

Will collapsed next to Wesley, taking the condom and tying if off. He tossed it to the side. It would have to go in their trash bag, which he would take care of him in the morning.

 

Wesley curled up against Will’s side and sighed, falling asleep almost instantly. Will stayed awake only a few minutes longer, shutting off the lamps and enjoying the peace around them.

 

*****

 

When he woke up, Wesley was already gone from the tent. Will poked his head out and saw Wesley standing outside completely naked. Will chuckled and decided to leave his clothes in the tent as well.

 

Wesley heard him coming out of the tent, turning towards him and smiling. “I think we should head to the river and take a dip. What do you think?” Wesley wrapped his arms around Will and every inch of their skin was touching. It was suddenly hard to think. “Whatever you say, Wes.”

 

Wesley grinned and grabbed Will’s hand, leading him down to where the river was. They waded in and Wesley immediately started splashing him. They splashed each other and laughed until their skin was wrinkly and even then they didn’t get out.

 

They relaxed in the river, kissing lazily. The sun was shining down on them and they were alone. It was perfect. The kiss deepened and Will felt Wesley grow hard against him. He shifted their positions so that their erections brushed together.

 

Wesley moaned into his mouth and when Will grasped both of them in his hands Wesley broke out of the kiss, throwing his head back, baring his neck for Will. Will found a sensitive spot to suck and nibble on while he stroked them both. Wesley came first with Will following closely behind.

 

He moved back to Wesley’s lips, kissing him as they both came down from their orgasms, and they kissed for a long time afterwards.

 

They finally made their way back to the campsite, hungry and thirsty. Will built up the fire to cook them some food and Wesley poured their drinks.

 

Wesley put on his boxers and brought Will out his so they could sit comfortably. Will made a quick meal and soon they were sitting and eating. They weren’t even halfway through the meal when Will started feeling terrible. Will looked up at Wesley and could see he was feeling the same way. He and Wesley locked eyes, and that was the last thing he was aware of before darkness took him.


	2. Chapter 2

His head was pounding, his throat was parched, and he was weak, probably drugged. He didn’t even want to open his eyes. As he became aware of his surroundings he realized that he was naked and that he was standing. He tried to move his arms but they seemed to be chained to something above him, and his legs were tied together.

 

It took him a couple of tries but he managed to open his eyes. The first thing they landed on was Wesley. Wesley was tied up the same way he was. He still looked unconscious. Will tried to call out his name, but his throat was too parched and all that came out was a whisper.

 

He looked around him, but there wasn’t much to see. There were tools and various other sharp implements spread out around him, but there were no windows, and nothing else.

 

Will’s heart began to race. Somebody had drugged them and now he and Wesley were at this person’s mercy. Anything could happen to them. Will looked over at Wesley. He was young and pretty, and he looked even younger than he actually was. It was easy to see where that could lead to and the thought of it made Will’s stomach turn in disgust.

 

Wesley finally stirred. He watched as Wesley attempted to move and then saw Wesley’s eyes focus on him. Wesley opened his mouth, but he must have been as parched as Will was because Wesley couldn’t seem to say anything either. There was nothing for them to do except watch each other and wait for whatever was in store for them. He wondered how long they would have to wait.

 

*****

 

Will jumped when he heard the sound of a door opening. He must have fallen asleep.

 

One man entered the room. Whatever Will had been expecting, it hadn’t been this. It was just one man, and was good looking. He was the type of guy you would strike up a conversation with, not run away from. At least until he got close to you. It was the eyes. There was nothing there. They were cold and empty.

 

That didn’t help the rising panic Will felt. The man was right next to Will now, rummaging through the tools that were lying around him, and Will knew what was in store for him.

 

It appeared that the man wanted to start small, possibly wanting to draw this out for as long as possible. The man had picked up a scalpel. Will couldn’t do anything. He was helpless, too weak to hold himself up while he kicked out with his legs. If they hadn’t been tied together he probably could have managed to kick out one.

 

The man carved into Will’s chest, and though Will’s throat was still parched, the pain was enough to pull a scream from him, hoarse as it was.

 

The carvings in his chest were deep and by the end of it, Will could no longer scream. Tears were streaming down his face though, and he was sweating and shaking. He could feel the blood running down his body, pooling at his feet. It seemed like such a small amount for the pain that he was in.

 

The man smeared his hand through the blood and with his bloodied hand, he cupped Will’s cheek and smiled at him. The smile, of course, didn’t reach the man’s eyes and Will found himself shivering. He pressed his body against Will and Will could feel the erection. So now it was Wesley’s turn.

 

The man turned and stalked towards Wesley. Will had known since he and Wesley had woken up here what would happen to Wesley. Sure enough, the man walked behind Wesley and then dropped his pants.

 

Will didn’t know if he had the strength to watch or listen to this, yet he didn’t have a choice. He couldn’t turn away from the sight before him, and Wesley’s cries of pain were heartbreaking.

 

He counted it as a blessing that the man only lasted through a few thrusts. He couldn’t imagine how Wesley must be feeling right now. A stranger had just taken him, and not only that, he had done it without any preparation and completely dry. Wesley was probably losing some blood of his own, though his scars would be more emotional than anything.

 

The man walked out, hopefully done with them for the night, or for the day. Will didn’t really know what time of day it was. The man was back after just a few minutes though. He had a bottle of water in his hand with a straw in it. He went to Will first, holding the straw up to Will’s lips so he could drink. Will knew that it could be drugged but he desperately needed the water so he didn’t care.

 

His captor pulled the water away before he was finished, but the rational part of Will’s brain knew that it was for the best. He didn’t want to be sick.

 

The man brought the water over to Wesley so that he could have some too. When their captor decided that Wesley had had enough, he pulled away and walked out the door.

 

Will waited for a couple of minutes after the man had left before risking talking to Wesley. “How are you holding up?” He could have asked if Wesley was okay, but that seemed stupid considering the circumstances.

 

“I’ll be okay. How about you?”

 

“The same.”

 

Will struggled to break his chains, hoping that if he struggled against them enough then maybe they would break. He wasn’t expecting anything to come of it, but he need to try. He couldn’t let the man rape Wesley again.

 

“It’s no use, Will.”

 

“I have to try.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I need to get you out of here.”

 

“What about you?”

 

“I don’t care about me. I can’t let that guy rape you again.”

 

“Thanks,” Wesley answered quietly. “But don’t worry about me. I can deal.”

 

“You shouldn’t have to.”

 

“And neither should you.”

 

“Wes, either way, we need to get out of here. I refuse to die here. Just stop talking now and save your strength.”

 

Wesley stopped talking and Will kept trying to free the chains from the ceiling.

 

*****

 

The man hadn’t been gone for long before he was back again. He ignored Will and went straight to Wesley.

 

Will had to endure Wesley’s cries for longer this time. The man lasted for a long time and he was even more brutal this time. His hands gripped Wesley’s hips hard enough to leave bruises. And the strength of his thrusts was definitely going to cause some bleeding if it hadn’t already.

 

Wesley was sobbing by the end of it, barely able to stand upright. The man finally came but he didn’t leave Wesley when he was done. He licked at Wesley’s neck and his cheek, and Wesley could do nothing while this happened. He was too weak to move, and probably in too much pain to even think clearly.

 

This man didn’t deserve to live, but Will didn’t know if he had it in him to kill him.

 

The man walked out, still ignoring Will’s presence. Will waited for quite a few minutes, wanting to be sure that the man wasn’t going to come back before speaking up.

 

“Wes, I want to ask if you’re okay, but that sounds stupid, considering.”

 

Wesley, still sobbing, didn’t even answer him. He didn’t know which was worse - hearing Wesley’s cries of pain, or listening to him sob. Will just knew that he never wanted to hear either ever again.

 

“We’ll get out of this, Wes. I’ll get you out of here.”

 

*****

 

Will exhausted himself trying to free the chains. It may not have been the smartest idea because he really should be preserving what little strength he had, but all he could think about was getting Wesley out of here.

 

It was for the good of them both. Wesley shouldn’t have to go through being raped again, and Will didn’t know if he could stand watching it again.

 

Will sighed and gave up on the chains. From here he couldn’t tell if Wesley was asleep or just resting. Not that he could get much rest standing there in chains.

 

Will didn’t know how long he had been struggling with the chains. He had had to stop when the man had come back, but he had resumed his struggles when he had gone.

 

He knew what would be in store for them both when the man came back. Will could only hope that instead of being overlooked this time, Wesley would be the one that was overlooked. That was unlikely though. Mostly likely they would both be tortured the next time the man showed up.

 

Will would also be happier if their places were switched. Not that he wanted to see Wesley in pain, but he didn’t like Wesley being used in the way that he was. If Will could take the worst of it, then he would.

 

Wesley stirred in his chains. He must have been sleeping then. Wesley looked up at him and the light that had been in his eyes when they had first gotten here was nowhere to be found. They were already starting to look empty, and that scared Will. He wanted Wesley to be happy and whole, not broken.

 

“Given up on the chains I see.”

 

“I’ll try again after I get some more water.”

 

Wesley snorted. “You’re not going to get anymore water until after he tortures you again, if you even get water. I didn’t get any water after the last time he raped me. But even if you do get more water, you’ll have been tortured again. You’re not gonna have more strength, you’re going to have less.”

 

Will knew this was probably true, but he couldn’t understand how Wesley had already given up hope. He was so young and he had given up so quickly. Will didn’t get any time to think on this because the door was opening again.

 

The man walked in and headed for Wesley first. Will couldn’t watch this again. He closed his eyes tightly but he couldn’t block out the cries of Wesley in pain, or the grunts of the man enjoying Wesley’s body.

 

Tears leaked from the corners of his closed eyes.

 

The man was taking his time again. Wesley must be in a severe amount of pain. Finally the man came, spilling his seed inside of Wesley with who knows what kind of diseases. He hoped the man hadn’t given him anything that couldn’t be cured.

 

The man zipped his pants back up and headed for Will. The tools were still lying out and this time the man grabbed the blowtorch. Will winced as soon as the thing was turned on.

 

This was definitely torture. Being accidentally burned by a pan was bad enough. This was brutal. His skin blistered beneath the torch. Not a part of his body was spared, save for his face. Even his dick and his balls had felt the kiss of the flame.

 

He couldn’t stop the screams that were ripped from his throat. He was honestly shocked that he hadn’t passed out yet.

 

Finally the man turned the blowtorch off, not that it really mattered. The searing pain wouldn’t be going away any time soon. Any chances that he had of escaping, and hope that he had had left, it was all gone now. There was nothing left he could do. He could hardly even think straight.

 

The man put all of his tools away into a bag that he had brought with him. That hadn’t happened last time. He wondered what it meant.

 

Will could feel himself drifting off and was only vaguely aware that one of his hands was now free. He felt something cool being pressed to the ring finger on his left hand. That brought Will back to his senses just in time for complete agony.

 

Just as quickly as it had begun, it was over and there was a bloody stump where his finger used to be. He could hear Wesley crying out in the background, but he was losing reality fast.

 

Suddenly his other arm was free and he collapsed to the ground. He cradled his left arm against his chest, blood pouring from the open wound that used to be his ring finger. Nausea welled up, and he leaned over and hurled.

 

He didn’t know if the man was gone or not, but he could still hear Wesley yelling. He could feel the blood running down his hand. He was losing a lot of it, and he was starting to feel light headed and even weaker.

 

He started dragging himself towards the yelling. He didn’t know why he was doing it, but it felt like something he should be doing. He could hear chains rattling loudly. Maybe Wesley was trying to break free. Hadn’t he warned Will against doing that very same thing though? He couldn’t really remember. He just kept dragging himself towards the noise.

 

He wasn’t going to die. That much he knew. Not yet anyway. If the man wanted him dead he would have done a lot worse than cut off his finger. Or maybe the man was planning on him dying a nice slow death. He didn’t know how much blood he would lose from this or how much a body needed to lose before it stopped functioning.

 

Will bumped into something and realized that it was Wesley’s leg. He collapsed on the floor next to it.

 

“Will! Will, can you hear me?”

 

“Yes,” Will managed to mumble.

 

“Will, look at me. I need you to focus on me.”

 

Will tried to look up at Wesley but it made his head spin so he stopped. But Wesley’s voice continued to plead with him so he tried again, only he did it much more slowly. He could see Wesley’s head but he couldn’t focus, couldn’t make out any features, so he tried harder.

 

Finally he was able to make out Wesley’s facial features. Wesley looked terrified and that helped Will more than anything else could. If he died then he would be leaving Wesley to that monster. He needed to save Wesley.

 

He undid the ropes around his legs, which took longer than it should have. He kept fumbling and was too weak to untie the knots, so he had to do it little by little. When he had them undone, he wrapped his arms around Wesley and slowly pulled himself up. As slowly as he went, he was still woozy when he managed to get upright, and he had to hold onto Wesley until he felt he was ready to stand on his own.

 

“Wes, can you see? He didn’t happen to leave anything behind, did he?”

 

“Unfortunately no. You should try and get out of here, and then you can go get help.”

 

“No. No way am I leaving you here to him.”

 

“Why not? It’s not as if you’re in any condition to take him.”

 

“But I have to try.”

 

“No you don’t. You have to run.”

 

Will gave Wesley a kiss. “This isn’t up for discussion.”

 

He slowly began walking around the room they were in. There was nothing. But there had to be something. Even something small would be helpful. Even something small could get him and Wesley out of here.

 

And then he saw it. Something small but if used in the right place, it could be very useful. A plan began forming. He went back over to Wesley to talk to him about it.


	3. Chapter 3

Will was curled up on the floor next to Wesley. He hadn’t slept. He had been too afraid to sleep. He was worried that if he fell asleep, he wouldn’t wake up. So he had asked Wesley to talk to him and he had. Wesley had been telling him stories from his past.

 

Wesley was still talking to him. They were waiting for the man to come back so Will could put his plan into action. Will had told Wesley the plan. Wesley had thought he was crazy, but that it might just work.

 

Things would go a lot better if the man brought his tools back with him. The door opened. Will could swear that the man was going to be able to hear the thudding of his heart. Will tried to calm himself but it was hard. He had never taken a human life before. He would though. He would do this for Wesley. He would do this so that he and Wesley could live. That was what he had to focus on - saving Wesley.

 

The man walked up to where Wesley and Will were. He had positioned himself on the floor behind Wesley. He didn’t want the man to do anything to Wesley before he had a chance to put his plan into action.

 

Will heard the man put something down. The tools. The man had brought the tools back with him. This was perfect.

 

He could feel the man right next to him, probably wondering if Will had survived or if he was conscious. Will waited.

 

“What do you think you’re doing?” asked Wesley. The man didn’t answer Wesley. Will hadn’t expected him to, but that meant the man was about to do something to him. His guess was that he was leaning down to check and see if Will was still alive. Wesley wouldn’t have said anything otherwise.

 

He waited until he could hear the man breathing, and then he struck. It wasn’t big, but the small piece of wood he had grabbed, small enough to be a very large splinter, did more than enough damage when Will shoved it into the man’s eye. It went in easier than Will had been expecting. Still, that was a sight that Will would never forget, and he had been the one to cause it.

 

The man pulled back, howling in pain and covering his eye. Will rummaged through the man’s tools, grabbing something for each of his hands, not that his injured hand would be much use. Still, it would make him feel better.

 

He decided to attack while the man was still down. He had something sharp in his right hand, a nice shiny dagger, and he jammed it into the other man’s eye. This one was way more effective. This time there was juice from the eye and blood. The blood just poured down from the eye socket. Will would definitely be sick later, but there was no time for that now. This was a serious injury, but there was no way this was going to stop the man.

 

Will was going to have to kill him. There was nothing else though, nothing for a quick and easy death. He still had the dagger in his hand. He was going to have to use that.

 

“It’s okay, Will.” Wesley spoke up for the first time since Will had attacked. “You’re just doing what you have to do.”

 

Wesley was right of course. Will went up to where the man had collapsed. Will took a deep breath and plunged the dagger into the man’s heart. At least he hoped he did. He couldn’t be sure. The man stopped moving though so that was hopeful.

 

He moved away from the man and hurled. He had just taken a human life, and he hadn’t exactly been neat about it. The image of the juices and the blood flowing down from the man’s eye were going to stay with him for a long time.

 

When he had finished emptying his already empty stomach, he dug around the man’s pockets until he found some keys. He untied Wesley’s legs first, and then he unlocked the chains. They hugged each other and Wesley cried, but no tears came from Will. Gently he pulled back from Wesley and went back over to the man. He pulled the dagger out and Wesley took it from his hands. Kneeling in front of the man, Wesley drove the dagger into this stomach, multiple times. Will finally took the dagger from him and pulled him to his feet and into his arms.

 

Tears came for Will this time. They stood there next to the body, holding each other and crying. When their sobs finally subsided they pulled apart and headed out of the room. They were in the middle of the woods and the only thing here was the small room they had been in.

 

“There’s no car and no house. What the hell?”

 

Wesley shrugged. “Maybe he was camping out here.”

 

They hunted around for a while but found no evidence of a camp. They were weak, starving, thirsty, and still naked, and they had no idea where to go.

 

“Now what?” Wesley asked.

 

Will held out his hands, gesturing around them. “Pick a direction and walk.”

 

“Lovely.”

 

“Oh I’m sorry. Do you have any better ideas?”

 

Wesley flinched and moved away from him. Will sighed. “I’m sorry. Let’s just start walking. The sooner we get back to civilization the better.”

 

They headed off in what they hoped would turn out to be the right direction and they walked. They walked for hours. Will had no idea how far away from civilization they were. Who knew how long it would take. Who knew if they would even find their way back to civilization. Maybe they would just die out here. At least they wouldn’t die at the hands of some psycho. Unless of course there was another one out here somewhere, and wasn’t that just a great thought to have.

 

The sun, though there wasn’t much filtering in through the trees, was aggravating his burned skin and he was in a lot of pain. Wesley noticed. “Why don’t we take cover for the rest of the day and then continue walking tonight.”

 

“How were you planning on seeing?”

 

“The moon?”

 

“Not out. Remember?”

 

“Oh yeah.”

 

“We have to keep moving.”

 

“But Will, you’re suffering.”

 

“I’ll be fine.”

 

Wesley didn’t look like he believed him, and he shouldn’t. Will wouldn’t be fine if he stayed out in the sun like this and they both knew it, but Wesley kept his mouth shut, and they both kept walking.

 

By the time the sun was setting they still hadn’t found their way out of the woods. They probably would die out here after all. “We should find a place to stay for the night.”

 

“Okay,” Wesley agreed. They looked, but there was no place comfortable for them to sit or lie down, naked. They took shelter under a large tree. No matter how Will sat, his burned body screamed in agony.

 

“Is it easier touching me?”

 

Will leaned against Wesley. “It’s easier.”

 

“Well okay then.” Wesley stretched out and leaned against the tree. “I guess you’ll be lying on top of me tonight.”

 

“Wes, I can’t do that.”

 

“Why not?”

 

Because Wesley was hurt too and he didn’t want to cause him anymore discomfort. Because Wesley shouldn’t be the one taking care of him.

 

“Will, my pain is emotional and yours is physical, so get on top of me and try and make yourself comfortable,” Wesley ordered, so Will did. Wesley didn’t wrap his arms around Will. He probably didn’t want to hurt Will anymore than he had to.

 

“You can put your arms around me if you want to.”

 

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

 

“You’re sitting on rocks and sticks so that I don’t have to. You can put your arms around me.”

 

Wesley did and Will rested his arms on top of them. “My pain is emotional too, and you also have physical pain.”

 

Wesley snorted. “I know. I just wanted you to listen.”

 

“We’re both going to be in therapy for a very long time.”

 

“Yes we are.”

 

“We can get through this though, and we can do it together.”

 

“Yes we can.” Wesley kissed his cheek. “Thanks for not leaving me to him.”

 

“Wouldn’t have dreamed of leaving you there.”

 

“For what it’s worth, I wouldn’t have left you there either.”

 

Will didn’t know if that was true or not, and he hoped he would never find out, but he believed Wesley.

 

“Thanks.”

 

*****

 

Will was still plastered against Wesley when he woke up. That must have been a very uncomfortable night for Wesley. Will definitely owed him one. Not that he was really comfortable, but he imagined it would have been worse if he had spent the night with leaves and twigs and whatever else poking at him.

 

“Oh good, you’re awake.”

 

Will snorted. “Do you need to pee or something?”

 

“Will, I’ve been trying to wake you for a while now. And you don’t look so good. I’m kinda freaking out a little here.”

 

Now that Wesley mentioned it, he didn’t feel so good either. He rolled off of Wesley, ignoring the pain, and hurled. At least he tried to hurl. There was nothing left for him to throw up, and there hadn’t been for a while.

 

“Come on, Will,” Wesley said, tugging him to his feet. “We need to get you to a hospital.”

 

He leaned on Wesley, finding that he could no longer hold himself upright on his own. Will had no idea how long they had walked for. He could barely even walk anymore. He had no idea how Wesley was even managing to keep him upright. Poor Wesley. He shouldn’t have to be doing this. This was all Will’s fault. He was the one who had suggested they go camping. He was the one who had picked this place to take Wesley. He opened his mouth to say something, but Wesley beat him to it. “Don’t talk Will. You need to conserve your energy.”

 

Will shut his mouth. He began stumbling, making Wesley’s job harder. He tried not to, but he couldn’t help stop it.

 

Finally, they stumbled across an opening in the trees. Here the sun hit Will’s exposed skin harder.

 

“Will, I can see a road! Come on. Just a little bit further.”

 

With Wesley’s help he made it to the road and then collapsed, giving in to the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

The first thing he noticed when he woke up was the noise. There were people talking and things beeping. He wasn’t in the woods anymore. He briefly wondered if he had ever been there at all. It all seemed like such a bad dream.

 

The second thing he registered was the pain. Okay, so it hadn’t all been a nightmare then. Will let out a groan.

 

“Will?”

 

He knew that voice. He opened his mouth to say something but all that came out was a croak. A straw was held to his lips and he drank.

 

“Can you open your eyes?” Wesley asked. It took more time than it should, but Will managed to open his eyes, and he saw a bald Wesley beaming at him.

 

“You’re bald.”

 

“So are you.”

 

“What?” Will’s brain wasn’t functioning properly.

 

“That’s what happens when you fall asleep in the middle of the woods after being tortured for days. And that’s not the only thing they shaved.”

 

Will groaned when he figured out what Wesley meant. “What happened?”

 

“Are you sure you want to hear this now?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What do you remember?”

 

“Everything until I passed out.”

 

“That’s good. I was worried you wouldn’t remember us making it out to the road. You were pretty out of it.”

 

“So what happened after I passed out?”

 

“We were by the road for hours before someone finally drove by. Not exactly a busy road. They called 911 and waited until the ambulance got there. They even had a blanket on the car that they gave me so I could cover us up.”

 

“Something I’m sure you were so concerned with by that point.”

 

Wesley chuckled. “Not really, but it was kind of nice to have. The ambulance got there and brought us here.”

 

“How long have we been here?”

 

“Five days.”

 

“Five days? I’ve been out for that long? Have you already been discharged?”

 

“Yes and yes. Oh, and my mom is around the hospital somewhere.”

 

“Did she know about us before this, or at least the possibility of us?”

 

“She did.”

 

“Well that’s a little better then I guess. So how are you anyway since you were already discharged?”

 

“I’m already healed. My physical injuries were thankfully not that bad. They tested me for all of the diseases that they could, but I am going to have to come back for more testing. Well, not here. I’ll have to go to the doctor. Otherwise I’m fine.”

 

“That’s good. And I guess the reason we were shaved is because of ticks or something.”

 

“Yep.”

 

“How much longer do I have to be here for?”

 

“I think it’s still going to be a while. Your burns were pretty bad. And your…” Wesley trailed off and picked up Will’s hand. He kissed the bandage.

 

“Well look who’s finally awake.”

 

Will turned to the voice, a woman he didn’t recognize was standing there. “Wesley’s mother?”

 

She chuckled. “I see you’re still out of it. Yes, I’m Wesley’s mother, but you can call me Beverly.”

 

Will smiled. He was getting really sleepy, but he had another question for Wesley. “Since you were already discharged have you been going to therapy?”

 

“No.”

 

“Are you waiting for me?”

 

“Yes, but we can talk more about this later. You need to sleep.”

 

Will nodded.

 

“Come on, Wes. Let’s go,” Beverly said, but Will grabbed Wesley’s hand.

 

“He wants me to stay.”

 

“Fine, but don’t keep from sleeping. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

 

“Thanks Mom.”

 

Wesley stretched out next to him. “Does it hurt if I press against you like this?”

 

“No more than it already does.”

 

“I’m sorry. Do you want me to move?”

 

“Please don’t.”

 

“Okay. Get to sleep now.” He kissed Will’s cheek and Will sighed and went to sleep.

 

*****

 

There was still pain the next time he woke up, but there was a warm weight pressed against him. “Are you awake?” he whispered.

 

“Yeah. How are you feeling?”

 

“Still in pain.”

 

“I would imagine so.”

 

“I’m sorry for all of this.”

 

“It wasn’t your fault.”

 

“Yes it was. We wouldn’t have been out there if it wasn’t for me.”

 

Wesley propped himself up on an elbow and looked down at Will. “You listen to me Will and you listen good. This is not your fault. I don’t blame you and neither does my mom. You know where the blame lays? On that crazy guy who did this to us. You are the reason that we are still alive. Don’t forget that.”

 

Tears started falling from Will’s eyes. “It’s just so hard.”

 

“I know.” Wesley wrapped his arms around Will and held him while he cried. “It’ll be okay, Will. We’re both going to get the help that we need, and we’ll help each other through this.”

 

“You’re handling this so much better than I am.”

 

“You went through a lot more than I did.”

 

“You went through something pretty horrific too.”

 

“Will, I’m not trying to downplay what happened to me. I’m just saying that you went through a lot worse.”

 

“I don’t believe that.”

 

Wesley snorted. “Of course you don’t.”

 

“You’re kind of amazing, you know that?”

 

Wesley laughed. “I’m pretty sure that’s why you brought me out there in the first place.”

 

“I’m pretty sure you’re right.”

 

They lie together on Will’s bed, watching TV and talking. Beverly came in and spent some time with them. She was surprisingly supportive of their relationship and offered to help the two of them as much as she could.

 

Nurses were in and out of his room all day, checking on him and the progress he was making.

 

Finally it was night and the hospital was peaceful. Wesley was on his side, an arm thrown across Will. Neither of them slept and Will decided to talk first. “Have you been sleeping?”

 

“Not well.”

 

“Nightmares?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t be. I’m sure you’ll be getting them too.”

 

“I know.”

 

Silence again and then Wesley kissed his cheek. Wesley moved from his cheek to his lips. Will held Wesley in his arms, relishing in how nice it was to get lost in a kiss with Wesley like this. Wesley pulled away, breathing heavily. “Sorry. I needed that.”

 

“Don’t be sorry. That was nice.”

 

Wesley sighed and settled back next to him.

 

“Wesley, if you have a nightmare you can wake me up.”

 

“Are you sure? You still have so much healing to do.”

 

“I’m sure.”

 

Wesley nodded against him and Will drifted off.

 

*****

 

Will wasn’t sure what had woken him up. Then he felt the body next to him shifting restlessly. He wanted to wake Wesley but he was afraid of hurting him worse or of Wesley hurting him. He placed a hand on Wesley’s chest, gently, and began to rub soothing circles. Wesley began to calm and eventually he sighed and snuggled against Will. Will smiled, happy he was able to help Wesley, and went back to sleep.

 

*****

 

The next time he woke up it was morning, and the spot next to him on the bed was cold. He wondered how long Wesley had been awake for. Wesley walked into the room.

 

“Wow, Wesley, you look really good.”

 

“I feel good. I slept so well last night.”

 

“No nightmares then?”

 

“None that I can remember.”

 

Will smiled as Wesley walked up and kissed him. Wesley didn’t need to know that he had actually had a nightmare last night. All that mattered was that he didn’t remember.

 

“How are you feeling?”

 

“Less pain.”

 

Wesley smiled at him. “That’s really good. Maybe you’ll get out soon and we can start going to therapy.”

 

“Well aren’t you eager to get to therapy.”

 

Wesley chuckled. “I just want to get this whole mess behind us. I want to try to have as normal a life as possible.”

 

Will noticed that Wesley said he wanted close to as normal a life as possible rather than a normal life. That was probably smart. They would both probably wind up happy and well adjusted, but this was something that would likely always haunt them.

 

“I don’t blame you. It’ll be nice to get back to routine. Mostly I can’t wait to get out of this hospital.”

 

“It’ll be nice to get back to classes again.”

 

“I keep forgetting you’re only twenty.”

 

Wesley climbed into bed next to him. “It’s because I’m so awesome.”

 

“Wait, now I remember.” He laughed when Wesley swatted at him, but Wesley was laughing too. It would take some time, but they would be okay.

 

*****

 

Will had finally been released from the hospital. Beverly had driven him and Wesley to Will’s place and now Wesley was staying with him. He was still amazed by how understanding Beverly had been, but she seemed to agree that he and Wesley were going to need each other in order to get through this, so he didn’t say anything.

 

They were getting ready for bed now. Will took his pain meds. They were still necessary, but at least in a smaller dose than he had been taking at the hospital. He climbed into bed next to Wesley, grateful that he wasn’t going to have to sleep alone tonight. He was sure that Wesley felt the same way. He sighed as he settled into bed, his bed, finally. Wesley curled up against him and kissed him goodnight. The drugs helped Will fall asleep very quickly.

 

*****

 

 _The dagger was a comforting weight in his hand. The blade was freshly sharpened and ready to slice into flesh. The boy in the chains was screaming, pleading with him, begging for his life. He just laughed and didn’t miss the shiver it caused in the boy. Good. He was glad he could cause fear, he was glad the boy was afraid of him. He should be. Will was about to have some fun with him._

 _He poked the dagger at the boy’s chest and slowly dragged it upwards, forcing the boy to lift his chin and look Will in the eye._

 

Will woke with a start, sitting up in bed, trembling and sweaty.

 

“Will, it’s okay. It was just a dream.”

 

Will shook his head and began to sob. Will couldn’t remember a time when he had cried so hard.

 

Wesley wrapped his arms around Will and Will cried into his neck. He knew what the dream meant. He knew he would never hurt Wesley and he would certainly never try and carve him up, but Will felt responsible for what had happened even though he knew that he shouldn’t.

 

Finally the sobs subsided. Will fell back onto the bed exhausted.

 

“You sleep Will. We can talk about this in the morning.”

 

Will nodded his agreement and was asleep before Wesley had even settled back against him.

 

*****

 

Morning came quickly, too quickly for Will’s liking. He was still exhausted and still wanted to sleep, but mostly he was still shaken by the nightmare that he had. Instinctively, he reached out for Wesley.

 

“I’m here, Will.”

 

Of course he was. He was still pressed up against Will. Will hadn’t even noticed that. How could he have missed something like that?

 

“Are you okay, Will?”

 

“I don’t know,” Will answered truthfully.

 

“Will, your nightmare last night. What happened? That was pretty intense.”

 

Will wanted to forget that nightmare had ever happened, but he knew it was going to stick with him for the rest of his life.

 

“You were in my place. You were the one who was cut up. The cutting was done by me though.”

 

“Will, you know what that was really about, don’t you?”

 

“I know. I still feel like this whole thing was my fault even though I know it wasn’t. We really need to start therapy soon.”

 

Wesley laughed. “As soon as you can get around without the pain meds.”

 

“That’ll be nice too. I’m kind of tired of being tired all of the time and I’m tired of sleeping just to not be in pain.” Will groaned. “I just want this whole mess to be over with.”

 

Wesley ran a hand over Will’s shaved head. “I know. I want the same thing. But one step at a time, right? Let’s see about getting some breakfast right now.”

 

“I don’t really want to move.”

 

“You don’t have to. I’ll make you breakfast in bed.”

 

Will smiled at him. “Have I told you lately how amazing you are?”

 

Wesley chuckled and kissed Will before heading out of the bedroom.

 

They had a long journey ahead of them. The road to recovery would not be easy, but they had each other and they would help each other through it all, and in the end, they would be all right.

 

*****

 

“You look nervous.”

 

“So do you.”

 

“I _am_ nervous.”

 

“I’m ready to be done with this.”

 

“This is only our first session, and weren’t you the one who was chomping at the bit to get here anyway?”

 

“And now that I’m here, I’m not sure it’s where I really want to be.”

 

“Wes, I thought you wanted to get all of this behind you? I thought you wanted to have as much of a normal life as you possibly could? This is the way to do that.”

 

“But there are things that I’m not sure I should share with her.”

 

“I know what you mean.”

 

“Will, maybe we should just go. Maybe this is a huge mistake.”

 

“Wes, we haven’t even walked into the building yet. We’re still sitting in the car.”

 

“And that’s what makes leaving so much easier.”

 

Will took Wesley’s face in his hands and leaned in to kiss him. It took a few minutes but he finally got Wesley to relax.

 

“This doesn’t mean that I’m okay now.”

 

“But at least I got you to calm down.”

 

“And you’re so proud of yourself, aren’t you?”

 

Will chuckled and got out of the car, waiting for Wesley to finally get out too. He had been out of the hospital for a month now, but he hadn’t been able to make it here sooner. He supposed he could have, actually, but he didn’t really try that hard.

 

He had been miserable for the month. He had stayed in bed for most of it, despite complaining that he didn’t want to be there. His skin had still been healing and he felt phantom pains and itches where his finger used to be.

 

It hadn’t been a pleasant month for him. Wesley, on the other hand, seemed to be healing just fine. He had taken care of Will and though Will had tried to get him to talk more than once, Wesley had been adamant about being just fine. Yet here he was, nervous about going to therapy.

 

Will put an arm around Wesley’s shoulders. “It’s going to be fine, Wes. You’ll see.”

 

“You say that, but you don’t know. What if it’s not fine?”

 

“How could it not be fine?”

 

“What if we’re never healed? What if we can never move past this?”

 

Will stopped walking and turned Wesley to face him. “Is that what this is really about?”

 

Wesley nodded.

 

“Look, Wes, we’re not going to be perfect and I think you know that. I also think you know that we probably won’t ever be our usual selves again. But we can still live a decent life. We just have to make sure that this doesn’t control our lives. We have to take control of it. And how are we ever going to do that if we don’t work through our issues. You’re probably going to have intimacy issues, and I certainly have issues with my guilt about this whole thing. This is the stuff that we need help with. This is the stuff that we have to move past if we want to have any kind of life at all.”

 

Wesley nodded and they continued their walk towards the building. Will had a moment of panic where he felt like Wesley did and just wanted to turn and run. He knew this was what they needed though, so he squashed that feeling down and got his breathing under control.

 

The wait felt like an eternity, though realistically it was more like ten minutes before they were seated side by side on the couch, Dr. Pulaski in front of them.

 

They started by telling her about their camping trip and about what had happened in that room. They told her about their escape and then about their hospital stay. He and Wesley hadn’t recounted the story in whole like that yet, and it had been harder than he would have expected.

 

The story took a while to get through and their time was up without having done anything else. Dr. Pulaski claimed it was a good start though. They thanked her and said they would see her there the same time in two days.

 

“That felt like a waste of time,” Wesley claimed as they headed back to the car.

 

“I don’t think I would say that. We haven’t told the entire story to anyone. It felt good to get it out there.”

 

“Yeah, but that was all we did.”

 

“Wes, this is going to take time. We aren’t going to be fixed in just a couple of sessions.”

 

“I know that.”

 

“Do you really?”

 

Wesley glared at him. Will laughed. “Come on, Wes. Just give it some time. I’m sure Dr. Pulaski knows what she’s doing.”

 

“I didn’t say that she didn’t know what she was doing, I just said that that session felt like a waste of time.”

 

“Well she had to know what was going on, right?”

 

“I hate it when you’re smart.”

 

Will chuckled. “No you don’t. You love it.”

 

“Maybe sometimes.”

 

They got into the car and Wesley sighed, resting his back against his seat. He looked so tired.

 

“Wes, have I thanked you for taking such good care of me this past month?”

 

“You’ve said thank you lots of times for various things.”

 

“Wes, I’m serious. I don’t think I would have survived that month without you.”

 

Wesley looked over at him, concern written on his face. “Will…”

 

“Don’t. I’m past that, but it’s the truth. So thank you for getting me through all of that.”

 

Wesley placed a hand onto his knee. “You’re welcome.”

 

They drove home in silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts. He hadn’t been lying to Wesley. He honestly didn’t think he would have survived this past month if Wesley hadn’t been there for him. It was a scary thought, one he was sure they would go over in therapy.

 

When they got to the house they got out of the car but Wesley stopped him at the front door. He kissed Will, a slow sweet kiss. “Believe it or not Will, I don’t think I would have survived the past month without you either. Taking care of you kept me going and I’m not sure what I would have done without that.”

 

Will huffed out a laugh. “I guess we really will get through this together.”

 

Wesley kissed him again. “Yes we will, Will. Yes we will.”


	5. Epilogue

Wesley’s laughter rang out loud and clear as they splashed each other. They were on vacation in Florida. Just ten days to themselves, relaxing on the beach and lounging in the pool and enjoying their large suite.

 

It had been ten years since that camping trip and they were celebrating that they had survived it with ten days in Florida.

 

Getting their lives back on track had been difficult. They had been in therapy for a long time, but they had managed to move past it. In fact, they had recently gotten married. They wore their wedding bands on their right hands because of Will’s left hand.

 

They were happy, they really were, but sometimes they still had nightmares. Sometimes the past still haunted them. How could it not?

 

Will had never dreamed about torturing Wesley again. He had gotten past his guilt about having been the one to suggest the camping trip and that particular campsite. It wasn’t his fault. It had taken a long time for him to be able to say that.

 

Wesley had struggled with Will touching him, understandably. Will had been patient though. He had had no reason not to be. It took months before Wesley could be intimate with Will, and even then he sometimes still struggled.

 

They spent their time apart too, learning how to survive without the other by his side. They hadn’t separated, they had just taken separate vacations, more than once, and had banned contact with each other while they were on them. It had been a suggestion from their therapist, and it had been a good one.

 

Wesley’s eyes sparkled with life again, and he was sure his did too.

 

They made their way out of the water and headed back to their towels on the beach. After Will had dried off, Wesley began slathering him in sun block. It had become a bit of an obsession, but it wasn’t something that affected his daily routine or his life, so his therapist hadn’t pushed to fix that problem. She did ask that he go back and see her if it ever got worse. He had promised her that he would.

 

He and Wesley had made the most of what had happened to them and they were doing just fine.

 

Except for when Wesley got that gleam in his eye, the same gleam that Will would get. Except for when the night called out to them, whispering to them, asking them to come out and play.

 

It was so easy to be a part of the darkness. The darkness felt like home, so when the darkness beckoned, he and Wesley couldn’t help but answer.


End file.
